David Libby is the author of A Different World: God's Sovereignty In The Face Of Suffering and a self-employed logger in Central Maine. He has served for many years as an officer (deacon and elder) in the Church, and is currently involved in a new church plant in rural Maine, where he leads and preaches every other week. Outside of the church, he has also given lectures on philosophy and hosted several homesteading events, wild edible plant field days, and more.
David is part of a group that hosts a monthly “Worldview Night” event. Attendees are encouraged to ask and attempt to tackle the hard questions in life. David believes that everything we do is done for the glory of God.
He successfully wrote, edited, and self-published with selfpublishing.com's Author Accelerator Elite program, so we decided to ask him a few questions about the process, his inspiration, and who should read his book.
Book Title: A Different World: God's Sovereignty In The Face Of Suffering
Genre: Christian philosophy and theology
Who should read your book?
My ideal reader is anyone whose life has been touched by suffering and who wants to know the true God in the midst of it.
What inspired you to write about this topic – and why now?
My family's many years of intense suffering with debilitating chronic illness forced me to dig deep into the hard questions.
It occurred to me that most of what is written on this subject is offered by people who have suffered very little, and I have found most of their answers to be inadequate. We have gotten to know a fair number of people who are asking the same questions, and are not satisfied with the answers, so I thought it was timely.
What are the top 3 things someone will learn from reading your book?
1. Suffering is not a mistake but is consistent with God's sovereign plan: the same God who has promised us trials and afflictions has also promised to work them together for the good of His people.
2. Suffering and evil are not inconsistent with the existence of the God of the Bible.
3. A proper Biblical worldview is God-centered, not man-centered.
What was your favorite part about this process?
I thoroughly enjoy the whole process of writing and putting a book together.
I love to learn, so self-education always seems to be its own reward to me. I'm not afraid to have my beliefs challenged, and usually attempt to put them to the test myself, as vigorously as possible. So, the research process is always a joy.
I also love to write. Taking notebooks full of disjointed thoughts and molding them into a coherent whole, hopefully in a way that is understandable and also artful, is a truly sublime experience!
To write this, I started with an outline and then assembled it one chapter at a time. I kept a notebook with me at all times and often jotted down notes throughout the day and while working. Most of the writing was done early in the morning, before work.
What are your plans for the future with this book?
My book is one of several tools that I am using in Christian ministry. My hope is that its message will be used by God for His own glory and for the good of as many people as need to hear it.
I'm also working on another book – a philosophical defense of the Biblical worldview. My intention is to keep shining the light of the gospel in a dark world that needs to know its God.
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